SPORTS
Football tickets still available
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Visit the ticket office located on the south end of the Booth Family Hall of Athletics, attached to Allen Fieldhouse before the end of this week. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WWW.KANSAN.COM
MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2007
PAGE 1B
COMMENTARY
BIG 12 SEASON PREVIEW
KU soccer The other football team
BY SHAWN SHROYER
KANSAN COLUMNIST
SSHROYER@KANSAN.COM
They don't have billboards, television commercials or radio commercials proclaiming, "This is what Fridays and Sundays were made for." The hack job taking place on the Hill isn't for their benefit. Most of their preseason accolades and position battles have gone unnoticed.
The soccer team is three years removed from its last Big 12 Championship and NCAA tournament appearance. But this year's squad has the makings of becoming the best in Kansas history.
No, not that football. I'm talking David Beckham, "Fever Pitch," red card football — I'm talking Kansas soccer.
Still, there is one football team that Kansas fans should be pumped about.
"There's no doubt that this is a more talented team than that group," coach Mark Francis said, comparing this year's roster to the one that won the Big 12 Championship in 2004. "That group over-achieved. This year, if we achieve what we are capable of, we'll do very well. To win a championship, it takes a lot more than talent. There are a lot of intangibles there that we're actually seeing signs of with this group."
Maybe it's Francis' British accent, but when he talks about how good this year's team can be, it's convincing. However, what he won't reveal
— in public, anyway — is that the league coaches committed an injustice when they picked Kansas to finish fifth in the Big 12. So I will.
Apparently, Big 12 coaches don't watch their game film from when they play — and usually lose to — Kansas. This is the third straight year they've tabbed Kansas to finish no better than fourth in the conference. Yet, 2002 was the last time the Jayhawks finished worse than fourth in the Big 12. And certainly they haven't noticed Francis stocking up on top-notch recruiting classes the last four years.
Included in this year's freshman class is Emily Cressy, who won her second U.S. Youth Soccer national championship this summer, playing alongside Dolinsky. Cressy earned the Adidas Golden Boot award as the most outstanding offensive player of the tournament.
Last year, five current Jayhawks earned Big 12 honors. Junior Jessica Bush was named to the All-Central Region third team while sophomores Monica Dolinsky and Estelle Johnson were selected to the Central Region's All-Freshman team. This year's recruiting class has already been recognized as the third-best recruiting class in the Big 12, the fifth-best in the Central Region and 36th-best in the nation.
so much talent has given Francis headaches trying to settle on a starting lineup before the season opener Friday. To Francis' luck, 11 starters emerged from Saturday's intrasquid scrimmage. Senior Emily Strinden and sophomore Shannon McCabe will be the starting forwards, while senior Nicole Cauzillo, junior Missy Geha, Bush and Dolinsky will fill the starting midfield spots. Senior Afton Sauer, junior Jenny Murtaugh, Johnson and freshman Katie Williams will form the starting defensive line and complement senior goalkeeper Colleen Quinn.
However, this starting 11 is anything but concrete. By the time
SEE SHROYER ON PAGE 6B
Pressure builds for Aggies
Texas A&M presents a strong roster on both the defensive and offensive sides this season but its challenging schedule matches up against the team's credibility. Set on a Big 12 Conference South title, the Aggies will have to overcome several obstacles before making it big in the postseason. KANSAN FILE PHOTO
FULL STORY ON PAGE 3B
VOLLEYBALL
Jayhawks take second at Oregon Invitational
rdodd@kansan.com
BY RUSTIN DODD
Two victories and one defeat. That's how Kansas finished its season-opening weekend at the Oregon Invitational in Eugene.
Uhart
Ore. After a victory over Cal-State Bakersfield on Friday, and a victory over Idaho State on Saturday, home team Oregon spoiled Kansas' bid for a perfect weekend, handling Kansas its first loss of the season 3-0 (30-20,
30-20, 30-20) Kerridge
to 2-1 on the season.
"They were real good physically," coach Ray Bechard said, referring to Oregon. "We were exposed in some areas."
Kansas had no response to the Oregon
offensive duo of junior Gorana Maricic and sophomore Sonja Newcombe, an All-Pac 10 freshman last year. Maricic and Newcombe had 12 kills each, while sophomore Nevena Djordjevic efficiently ran the offense and recorded a match-high 29 assists. Oregon posted a team hitting percentage of .370, while Kansas, hamstrung by its 27 hitting errors, was able to muster a hitting percentage of only .040.
"Maybe it was lack of experience," Bechard said. "There's always some pressure the first time out."
formances from freshman Jenna Kaiser and sophomore transfer Flavia Lino in the first two games of the tournament, Kansas' offense went silent against Oregon. Freshmen Karina Garlington, sophomore Brittany Williams, and junior Natalie Uhart led the team with six kills each, while senior Emily Brown and sophomore Katie Martincich led the team with 12 assists each.
Top performers
Coach Ray Bechard put his name into the Kansas record books when Kansas swept Idaho State in its first game on Saturday. Kansas defeated Idaho State, 3-0 (30-20, 30-21, 30-25), and Bechard registered his 149th win at Kansas, tying Frankie Albiz for
IDAHO STATE
A mix of veterans and newcomers led Kansas statistically over the weekend.
Oregon, an NCAA tournament team a year ago, played like its 2006 success will carry over to this season. Oregon scored 50 kills in 93 attempts.
A Kansas victory would have given Kansas the Oregon Invitational Championship. Instead, Oregon took the title for the third consecutive year. After getting per-
Kills
Jenna Kaiser 31
Flavia Lino 29
Natalie Uhart 23
Assists
Emily Brown 65
Katie Martincich 51
Digs
Melissa Manda 38
Katie Martincich 23
Flavia Lino 23
the most wins by a volleyball coach at Kansas. Still, Bechard was hoping for a little more out of his team. "I was a little disappointed in game three," Bechard said. "Games one and two were good, and we got to play 13 or 14 players, so that was a positive."
Kansas earned its second victory of the season, and continued the trend of strong performances from Kansas newcomers.
Sophomore Flavia Lino's 13 kills led Kansas offensively. Lino, a Sao Paulo, Brazil native, played, collagenately
last season at Universidade Paulista in Sao Paulo.
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 6P
Offense gets a makeover Fans might see more passing this season
FOOTBALL
afusco@kansan.com
BY ASHER FUSCO
After leaving Kansas at the end of the 2004 season, he took over as Illinois' offensive line coach and pushed the Illini rushing attack to the top of the Big 10 Conference.
Sow why did Warinner leave a rising Illinois
By almost any measure, Ed Warinner succeeded in his two years at Illinois.
Warinner
"The community, coaching staff and Athletic Department has embraced me," Warinner said. "It's been as smooth as can be. The family's back in town and we love it."
program to return to Kansas? He said his family's ties to Lawrence and his connection with head coach Mark Mangino made the decision easy.
Warinner coached the Kansas offensive line in 2003 and coordinated the Jayhawk run-game the following season. After spending two seasons in charge of Illinois' run-game and offensive line, he returned to Kansas this past spring as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.
In 2003, Kansas rushed for 165 yards per game under Warinner's watch. From 2000 to 2002, he coached the offensive line at the Air Force Academy, a school known for its effectiveness running the ball. During Warinner's tenure at the academy, the Falcons posted impressive statistics, averaging more than 300 rushing yards per game.
Warinner brings with him a long list of credentials and an emphasis on gaining yards in the trenches. Last season, he coached Illinois to its best rushing season since 1973 — the Illini averaged 188 yards per game.
Surprisingly, Warinner's return to Kansas might not involve any exaggerated reliance on the run-game. In fact, Kansas fans can expect to see the ball in the air more often than in past seasons.
"Our offense is an offense that provides the opportunity to run the ball because we throw the ball well," Mangino said. "That's going to be our philosophy."
Former offensive coordinator Nick Quartaro, who resigned last December, relied on running backs like Jon Cornish and Clark Green to shoulder the offensive load. Kansas ran its plays out of a spread
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 6B
Ed Warinner profile
Year
School
1984 Akron
1984 Akron
1985-86 Michigan State
1987-99 Army
1
2000-02 Air Force
2003 Kansas
2004-05 Illinois
2007 Kansas
Coaching position
running backs
running backs
linebackers, defensive backs
offensive line, defensive line,
quarterbacks, offensive coordinator,
football operations
offensive line
offensive line
offensive line, run-game coordinator
offensive line, run-game coordinator
offensive coordinator, quarterbacks
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